Electric flashlight



Sept. 14, 1965 M. M. BROWN ELECTRIC FLASHLIGHT Filed June 11, 1963 ML FIG. I

INVENTOR.

lWEYE/Q M: BROW BY M L52: FIG. 5 6

ATTDRNEYJ United States Patent 3,206,594 ELECTRIC FLASHLIGHT Meyer M. Brown, 261 Broadway, New York, NY. Filed June 11, 1963, Ser. No. 287,024 Claims. (Ci. Mil-40.65)

The present invention relates to a battery operated electric flashlight.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved miniaturized flashlight of the general type above referred to which, its small size notwithstanding, produces a comparatively strong light beam for a long period of time and which is reliable in operation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved miniaturized flashlight, the components of which can be rapidly and conveniently assembled by simply inserting the same into the casing of the flashlight and in which all the components are held in position and secured in and to the casing by a single screw.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved miniaturized flashlight in which all the current-carrying components are automatically placed and held in conductive relationship when the casing is locked by the aforementioned single screw.

A flashlight according to the invention, which, due to its small size, can be attached to a key ring or key holders. It can be conveniently carried in a purse, pocket or handbag and generally be used wherever the small size of the flashlight is essential or desirable.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims constituting part of the application.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view of a flashlight according to the invention shown in its actual commercially used size.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the flashlight on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the assembled flashlight, the flashlight being shown open, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled and closed flashlight, the cover of the casing being partly broken away.

Referring now to the figures in detail, FIG. 1 shows the assembled flashlight in a size which is now considered practical and commercially suitable, but it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the exact outer dimensions or to the peripheral outline shown in the figure.

Turning now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the flashlight comprises a casing 1 of generally rectangular configuration as such configuration has been found to be particularly suitable for the purpose of the invention. The casing has a box-like base part 2 and a plate-like cover 3. The casing may be made of any suitable material but the use of plastics has been found to be particularly suitable. One corner of the casing may be recessed at 2a to form a lug for attachment of a wire loop or ring 4, by means of which the flashlight may be secured to a key chain or any other convenient item. Of course, a ring or loop may be secured to the casing in any other convenient manner or may be omitted entirely.

The side walls of base part 2 are formed with openings 5 and 6. Opening 5 constitutes a window for the light beam and opening 6 accommodates a switch button 17, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. A divider 7 rises from the base of easing part 2, preferably integral therewith. If the casing is molded from plastic, the

3,296,594 Patented Sept. 14, 1965 divider may of course constitute part of the mold die. The divider has two straight walls 7a and 7b which meet at a right angle and are joined by a curved surface 70. The divider is so located in casing part 2 that it defines in effect three interconnected compartments 8, 9 and 10 in the casing.

Compartment 8 accommodates an incandescent light bulb 15 which is held in position by the respective walls of divider 7 and casing part 2. The light bulb is so placed that its filament 15a is in alignment with window 5 so that if light is produced by bulb 11 it will emerge in the form of a beam from window 5.

Compartment 9 accommodates a spring contact 16. This contact has a generally S-shaped portion 16a. One end branch of this portion is in pressure engagement with the base terminal 15b of the lamp and the other end branch is continued to form a springy arm 16b constituting an on and off switch. Contact spring 16 is so shaped and dimensioned that it will be retained in compartment 9 in the position best shown in FIG. 13 by engagement with the respective wall portions of divider 7 and easing part 2. Switch button 17 slidably fitted in opening 6 is biased into the position shown in FIG. 3 by the spring action of arm 16b. A flange 17a retains the button in the casing.

The third compartment 10 accommodates a storage battery 29. The battery, as shown, may be alkaline battery using, for instance, a silver-cadmium system and known as a button type battery. The battery is held in position in its compartment by engagement with the respective wall portions of divider 7 and casing part 2. Other types and shapes of batteries may, of course, also be used, in which event the configuration of divider 7 will be so selected that it will retain the battery in position. Batteries of the kind here shown have one terminal at the top indicated at 20a and the other terminal is formed by the side wall of the battery casing and is indicated at 20b.

The cover 3 of the casing supports on its inner side a metal strip 25 secured to the casing by any suitable means, for instance by a rivet made from the same material as the casing and formed during the molding of the same. Strip 25 has preferably downwardly slanted end portions 25a and 25b to secure good contact, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. The shape and location of strip 25 can best be seen in FIG. 3. As it is evident from this figure and also from FIG. 4, placement of cover 3 upon the bottom part of the casing will place strip 25 in a position such that it connects battery terminal 20a with the terminal of the bulb. Cover 3. may be secured to the bottom part of the casing by any suitable means. There is shown by way of example a screw 30 which can be threaded through a countersunk hole 31 in cover 3 into a threaded bore 32 provided in divider 7, or a nut such as a hexagonal nut fitted in the material of the divider. Securing cover 3 to bottom part 2 by tightening screw 30 will lock the aforedescribed components in casing part 2. The cover may also be joined to the bottom part of the casing by making both the bottom part and the cover of suitable plastics material such as polypropylene and directly joining the cover to the bottom part by a very thin hinge. The cover is then folded over the bottom part and being held in the same in a suitable undercut, the inherent elasticity of the material permitting the required deformation of the cover and the bottom part.

As it is apparent, a circuit for bulb 1-5 is closed except for the connection between contact arm 16b and the second battery terminal 20b. This connection can be closed by pressing in switch button 17 so that the tip of contact arm 16b engages battery terminal 20b. The lamp circuit will remain closed as long as button 17 is pressed in. As soon as the button is released arm 16b will return the same into the position shown in FIG. 3.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A battery operated electric flashlight comprising a casing having a base part and a cover part, the base part having in its side wallls a light window and an opening for a switch button and in its bottom wall a divider rising therefrom and dividing the interior of the casing in several interconnected compartments, a storage battery fitted in one of said compartments and held in position by said divider and adjacent wall portions of the casing, an incandescent light bulb fitted in another of said compart ments and held in position by said divider .and adjacent wall portions of the casing, the filament of said light bulb being placed in optical alignment with said light window, a switch button slidably inserted in said wall opening, a first conductor fitted in a third compartment and held in position by said divider and adjacent wall portions of the casing, said conductor being in continuous conductive engagement with the base terminal of said light bulb and having a spring arm biased into a position adjacent to but spaced apart from one terminal of the battery and biasing said button outwardly, and a second conductor connecting the second terminal of the light bulb with the second terminal of the battery, said second conductor being secured to said cover part whereby pressing in of the switch button moves said springy arm into engagement with said one battery terminal and thus closing an energizing circuit for the light bulb.

2. A battery operated electric flashlight comprising a casing having base part and a cover part, the base part having in its side walls a light window and an opening for a switch button and in its bottom wall a divider rising therefrom and dividing the interior of the casing in several interconnected compartments, a storage battery fitted in one of said compartments and held in position by said divider and adjacent wall portions of the casing, an incandescent light bulb fitted in another of said compartments and held in position by said divider and adjacent wall portions of the casing, the filament of said light bulb being placed in optical alignment with said light window, a switch button slidably inserted in said wall opening, a first conductor fitted in a third compartment and held in position by said divider and adjacent wall portions of the casing, said conductor being in continuous conductive engagement with the base terminal of said light bulb and having a spring arm biased into a position adjacent to but spaced apart from one terminal of the battery and biasing said button outwardly, and a second conductor for connecting the second terminal of the light bulb with the second terminal of the battery, said second conductor being supported on the inner surface of said cover part in a position such that upon fitting of the cover part to the base part said conductor engages the second terminals of the light bulb and the battery whereby pressing in of the switch button moves said springy arm into engagement with said one battery terminal and thus closes an energizing circuit for the light bulb.-

3. A flashlight according to claim 2 wherein said second conductor is in the form of a springy metal strip secured to the inside of said cover part.

4. A flashlight according to claim 2 wherein said casing is of generally rectangular shape, the said cover part being substantially in the form of a plate facing the base part, and a screw extending through said cover plate and into said divider securing said casing parts together.

5. A flashlight according to claim 2 wherein said first conductor has a generally S-shaped portion, one outer shank of said portion engaging said base terminal of the light bulb and the other outer shank being continued to form said springy arm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,645,706 7/53 Bowland 2'40- 10.65 X 2,842,657 7/58 Ford 240-1065 X 2,843,730 7/58 Schwartz 240-1065 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BATTERY OPERATED ELECTRIC FLASHLIGHT COMPRISING A CASING HAVING A BASE PART AND A COVER PART, THE BASE PART HAVING IN ITS SIDE WALLS A LIGHT WINDOW AND AN OPENING FOR A SWITCH BUTTON AND IN ITS BOTTOM WALL A DIVIDER RISING THEREFROM AND DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF THE CASING IN SEVERAL INTERCONNECTED COMPARTMENTS, A STORAGE BATTERY FITTED IN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS AND HELD IN POSITION BY SAID DIVIDER AND ADJACENT WALL PORTIONS OF THE CASING, AN INCANDESCENT LIGHT BULB FITTED IN ANOTHER OF SAID COMPARTMENTS AND HELD IN POSITION BY SAID DIVIDER AND ADJACENT WALL PORTIONS OF THE CASING, THE FILAMENT OF SAID LIGHT BULB BEING PLACED IN OPTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID LIGHT WINDOW, A SWITCH BUTTON SLIDABLY INSERTED IN SAID WALL OPENING, A FIRST CONDUCTOR FITTED IN A THIRD COMPARTMENT AND HELD IN POSITION BY SAID DIVIDER AND ADJACENT WALL PORTIONS OF THE CASING, SAID CONDUCTOR BEING IN CONTINUOUS CONDUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BASE TERMINAL OF SAID LIGHT BULB AND HAVING A SPRING ARM BIASED INTO A POSITION ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED APART FROM ONE TERMINAL OF THE BATTERY AND BIASING SAID BUTTON OUTWARDLY, AND A SECOND CONDUCTOR CONNECTING THE SECOND TERMINAL OF THE LIGHT BULB WITH THE SECOND TERMINAL OF THE BATTERY, SAID SECOND CONDUCTOR BEING SECURED TO SAID COVER PART WHEREBY PRESSING IN OF THE SWITCH BUTTON MOVES SAID SPRINGY ARM INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE BATTERY TERMINAL AND THUS CLOSING AN ENERGIZING CIRCUIT FOR THE LIGHT BULB. 